The Washington Redskins added 7 players this draft. Deviating from the prior trade down philosophy, the Redskins held all of their picks and selected several guys who will either start or contribute right away. Here's the 2013 Rookie Class along with a brief write up of them.

1. David Amerson

Cornerback NCST
6'2
205lbs
4.4 forty
18 INTS over 2 years.

Tall, fast corner who has a knack for making interceptions. Lead the NCAA in INTS in 2011 with a whopping 13. Got greedy in 2012 and went for the interception rather than keeping discipline, but still wound up with 5 more picks for a staggering 18 total in 2 years. Taller in the mold of a Richard Sherman but a faster corner who can play press man or zone coverage. Will play outside corner. And, should start opposite Josh Wilson, with D Hall moving into the slot.

A converted QB who quickly emerged as a shifty and versatile Tight End. Has open field moves like a RB, and will likely line up all over the field. Compared by several analysts to Aaron Hernandez. According to Shanahan, he was their top rated pass catching Tight End. Should be an upgrade over Niles Paul and would allow Paulsen to return to his best role as an in-line blocking TE who can work the middle of the field when needed. Should be a versatile weapon in two tight end sets.

3. Phillip ThomasSafety FRESNO STATE
6'0
208lbs
4.5 forty
Ball Hawk, turnover machine. Forces almost as many fumbles as interceptions. Hard hitter who can cover. Should start sometime this season.

4. Brandon JenkinsOLB FLA STATE
6'3
250lbs
4.8 forty
Former projected 1st round pick before Lis Franc foot injury forced him out of the game. Recorded 22 sacks over his sophomore and junior years. Good edge rusher who will play OLB after being a DE in college.

5. Chris ThompsonRB FLA STATE
5'8
190lbs
4.4 forty

Change of pace back. Fast and explosive. Averaged 7.5 yards per rush before tearing his ACL. Was on pace to become first FSU RB to run for over 1,000 yards in a season since Warrick Dunn. Good pass catcher. Burner who should compete for a spot, or wind up on the PS.

6. Bacarri RamboFS UGA
6'0
211lbs
4.5 forty

First Team All American selection at Free Safety. True FS who isn't a real big hitter but will throw his body around. Good ball skills and has recorded 11 INTS in the last 2 years despite losing games to suspension both seasons. Failed a drug test. Could have been a 2nd round pick if not for his off field issues.

7. Jawan JamisonRB RUTGERS
5'7
205lbs
4.6forty
Shifty running back. Models his game after Ray Rice. Is elusive more than he is fast. But, could be a steal if he lives up to his goal of being a Ray Rice type.

Chris Luva Luva wrote:Thanks for putting this thread together. I'm very pleased with this draft.

+1

It's crazy that if someone told us this would be the incoming draft class, we probably would have guessed the rounds all wrong. I know I would have.

Getting 3 guys who combined for 40 picks in the last 2 years is quite impressive. Especially since we got Amerson, Thomas & Rambo in the 2nd, 4th and 6th rounds, after each of them was projected higher.

HAIL

Last edited by The Hogster on Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My guess is that one of these rookies will make the team in some capacity pushing someone out of work. Roy Helu might be the odd man out. It will be interesting to follow this competition. I firmly believe this staff takes the competition thing seriously. Whoever makes it will probably be on the team because they just out performed the other RBs.

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan obviously won’t know until a couple of years down the road exactly how good a job he and his staff did at drafting their 2013 class. But as the team wrapped up its draft Saturday night, the coach said he felt good about the collection of players acquired.“When you get done with the draft, you’re trying to look for some depth and some competition on your football team and I thought we were able to do that today,” Shanahan said. “I felt good about the guys that we did get. It gives guys a chance to compete against one another, and we’re a better football team today than we were yesterday, and I thought the draft went well.”Shanahan spoke most extensively about his secondary additions, but did give some analysis on each player taken on Saturday.Here’s some of what the coach had to say:On safety Phillip Thomas (fourth-rounder):What Shanahan liked:“Lot of things. Great job adjusting to the football. Lot of interceptions. … He wasn’t afraid to hit people, he can support the run, had a good feel, played a lot of different coverages that we play. When we did meet with him, he was very quick mentally, and we think he’ll adjust very quickly to our system. Very similar system that he ran in college that we run.”On if Thomas could start as a rookie:“I think that’s what you expect. That’s what you’re hoping for. It doesn’t always happen that way. If they can’t start, you’re hoping eventually they’re ready if we do lose a player, and that they can help on special teams. Some guys can pick things up fairly quickly. I think for a guy like Phillip Thomas, it’ll be a little bit easier because they ran a very similar system to what we have, so he might be able to help us a little bit quicker. But you never know for sure until they get out here, start working out. But we feel very good about the guys we signed.”On Bacarri Rambo (sixth-rounder):What he likes?“Just the way he played the game. You can tell he’s a tremendous athlete, former quarterback. Just a guy that has a lot of intangibles, makes plays all over the football field, and I think his game will just get better and better.”

On possible concerns about Rambo’s past drug problems:“We do a lot of background checks. We talk to these people quite a bit, and not only him, coaches and head coaches, and if we don’t feel comfortable with someone, we don’t sign them, and we felt very comfortable with him.”On if Rambo and Thomas are free or strong safeties:“You add a couple safeties with [Thomas] and [Rambo] – two guys that play the free safety position but also play the strong safety position as well. We felt like we needed some depth and some competition at those positions as well.”On how Rambo, Thomas and David Amerson help the secondary:“You’re always looking for guys that can catch the football. But you’re looking for speed, the safety position, you’re looking for guys that can catch the football. But more importantly, I think we’ve got a little bit more flexibility. You’ve got a guy like [E.J.] Biggers, and a guy like Amerson, we’ve got the flexibility with a guy like D-Hall, a guy like Josh Wilson, who can work inside as well. But we’ve got flexibility on the outside, and a little more flexibility inside with our nickel and dime packages, combined with our two new safeties and the possibility of Brandon Meriweather coming back full speed, is Tanard Jackson? But, Pugh, [Jerome] Murphy, we’ve got a lot of guys that are competing and that’s what gives you a chance.”OLB Brandon Jenkins (fifth-rounder)On where he would’ve been taken if healthy in 2013:“You never know for sure, but we had him ranked fairly high anyhow, and then when he was there, we couldn’t pass him up. Last season he played extremely well. Would he have went in the first round, second round? I really don’t know, but he was impressive.”(The 6-foot-2, 251-pound Jenkins – a preseason all-American – recorded 13.5 sacks in 2010 and eight sacks in 2011).RB Chris Thompson (fifth-rounder)On his potential role:“I think Chris is a guy that could excel against nickel defenses, he could be that third-down back. He’s got great hands, he’s got great elusiveness. He averaged over seven yards a carry. He’s a guy that I think can do it all, and you always like to have a couple backs that complement each other and I think he’ll complement our running backs in what they do.”RB Jawan Jamison (seventh-rounder)On taking him in the seventh round and his potential:“Jamison is a guy I thought would be gone much earlier. We weren’t really looking for a running back in that seventh round, but he was there and we just thought he was too good to pass up. Very similar to guys we’ve talked about in the past. When a guy’s in the seventh round that you have ranked much higher, we thought he could do a lot of the same things. Not only could he excel in the nickel packages, but he could be a first-down runner as well.”

Highlights:

Says he "expects" Phillip Thomas to start at Safety this year. Says the scheme he ran in college is similar which will help him. If he thinks that Thomas could start this year, the conventional wisdom is that he also thinks Amerson will start.

Suggests Brandon Jenkins would have gone in the 1st or 2nd round if he weren't injured.

Says that Jawan Jamison was too good to pass up in the 7th even though they weren't looking for a RB.

Says Rambo is an athlete that should provide competition at Safety and had no reservations about his character.[/img]

He touched on him yesterday. His comments were something along the lines of the team wasn't targeting a TE specifically, but they had him as their #1 pass catching TE and his value was too much to pass up in the 3rd. They think he's an impact player.